Juicing is a big part of my life. Where many of you can’t begin your day without your favorite cup of joe, my go to morning beverage is a green tea berry smoothie. J and I are not big coffee drinkers, but don’t get me wrong, I love the smell and taste of fresh brewed coffee. For me the crash I experience after caffeine does its magic, feels much worse that the tiredness I battle with when first waking up. As I suffer from low energy, a weakened immune and fatigue, I’ve found that juicing is a great way to naturally boost my energy without relying on caffeine. I also swear by it to help me ward off illnesses during peak cold and flu seasons.

We’ve been fortunate enough to have a Vitamix on loan from friends for the past year, and I can say we’d be lost without it. I attempted making fresh juice everyday but it started to be a pain. With the Vitamix we’re able to make six servings of juice or smoothie at a time, which we store in mason jars in the fridge, allowing the two of us to have a healthy breakfast option for three days. The longer fresh juice is exposed to air, the more health benefits it begins to lose. But three days is a pretty safe bet in most of the resources that I’ve found. My tried and true recipe for our daily smoothie is loaded with antioxidants from berries and green tea. Green tea has also been shown to aid in combating some cancers. I also rely on fresh ginger to help give my immune system a boost. Here is a basic recipe followed by optional add-ins (that we do include each time we make this).

Green Tea Berry Smoothie

Recipe by mmvsmm.comMakes 6 servings (reduce by 1/6 to make a single serving) based on 64oz/2L blender

We do not sweeten any of our juices or smoothies as we find the fruit to be sweet enough. If you like things on the sweeter side try adding in raw agave, honey, or maple syrup. A couple of tablespoons should do the trick!

Instructions:

Add ingredients into blender, liquids first

Blend on high

Pour into mason jars, seal jars with lids and refrigerate

Enjoy as your morning breakfast or as a mid day snack!

*Disclaimer: please note, I am not sponsored by any of the products used on this blog. Any products used have strictly been of my own choosing/research.

My husband LOVES pasta. I, on the other hand, can live without it, which is OK as it isn’t conducive to eating clean. But, we’ve found a way to have the best of both worlds! Spiraling zucchini into “noodles” can still taste like great Italian food without all of the guilt. Now the challenge for tonight was all in the sauce. Hubby’s favorite Italian sauce is vodka sauce and because I avoid eating heavy cream, I discovered how easy it is to use cashew cream instead. We opted to top this dish with roasted cauliflower, red peppers, and crimini mushrooms, yum! If you can’t skip the protein, grilled chicken would be delicious with this as well.

Optional toppings: grilled chicken (for a non-vegetarian dish) or roasted veggies if you want to keep it vegetarian/vegan friendly. I tossed some chopped cauliflower, crimini mushrooms, and red pepper in olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, dried thyme, oregano, and parsley for 40 minutes at 375 degrees. Viola! And may I say the mushrooms were out of this world!

To make the cashew cream:
If you have a high power blender -soak 2/3 cup of cashews in 2/3 cup of water while you make the rest of the recipe. We’re lucky enough to have a Vitamix on loan that did the trick. If you have a lower power blender, you’ll want to soak the cashews overnight. Blend the cashews and water on high for two minutes and set aside.

Cashew pieces soaking in water

Like magic, now we have cashew cream!!

1. Dice the onion
2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat
3. Add onion and garlic, cook for five minutes – until soft
4. Sprinkle red pepper flakes and 1/2 tbs. dried oregano onto the mixture and stir to combine
5. Pour vodka into mixture and cook down until reduced by about half
6. Open can of diced tomatoes and can of tomato sauce. Pour into saucepan
7. Heat to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes
8. While sauce is cooking spiral zucchini into “noodles”
9. Heat olive oil in large skillet or wok, add zucchini spirals and cook for 4-6 minutes or until they reach your desired consistency. Do not overcook
10. Remove “noodles” from heat
11. Remove sauce from heat for 5 minutes and then add in cashew cream
12. Return sauce to burner on medium-low heat and add in spinach along with remaining one tbs. of dried oregano
13. Stir sauce until spinach begins to wilt, do not bring the sauce to a boil
14. Remove sauce from heat

Now you’re ready to plate the meal! Serve the sauce over your zucchini noodles. Add fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste. If you’re like my husband, who likes to pack on the heat, be sure to include additional red pepper flakes on the table. Now if only it were easier resist the temptation to use that leftover Tito’s for a nice dinner time Moscow Mule…

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